2015-07-04 Dunwich Dynamo XXIII

No mention of a sea swim at the end? Tsk, tsk. :)

Come and help at the feed stop, Paul. We can always do with more volunteers.

Thanks Ludd

Just the usual riders then who have no regards for others. I had the misfortune to get caught up in a Sportive recently and had similar experiences.

I'll probably ride if I can sort out getting home...I'll be wearing Eagle kit. Give me a wave when you go past

So m'Ludd - unless you're riding a penny farthing or a unicycle it's just the riders that you have a problem with! Tricky that - given that it's a ride. :-)

I've only done a few DDs, so it may just be luck, but the couple of times I've left London Fields a bit later - after 9 - I've been around more people doing it for the chilled out lol than those smashing it.

Despite the downsides it's still well worth doing if you haven't before. If the weather is nice it's a magical adventure and it's totes doable fixed, very few hills up or down so 65-75 GI works very well.

If you're worried about getting home consider driving up to Dunwich the day before, parking up and riding to the station to get the train down to London. It'll feel like a load of faff at the time, but on Sunday morning when you're cold and tired and you just want to get home it will suddenly become the best decision you've ever made.

Last year I decided to go without a plan to get home. I arrived at the beach in the rain. Stood around for half an hour considering my options. Rode another 35 miles to Stowarket (in the rain). Missed the train to Cambridge by one minute and had to sit around in my sodden clothes for 1 hour 59 minutes waiting for the next one. It wasn't all that much fun.

@Melsbikes
Don't worry, it's only my own personal reaction to the experience, and I would like to encourage anyone who is remotely interested in doing this ride to go ahead and do it. Chances are you'll love every minute of it. To the extent that I have any problems with other people on this ride, I'm perfectly happy to take up the option of not being there.

@Hefty - yes, the challenge of the return leg is significant, but folks should think very carefully about driving any distance after a night ride. There was a fatality a couple of years back that may have been connected with the driver having just done an overnight bike ride before setting off for home (not the Dun Run).

Thanks Hefty

Good idea - I might drive up then. You going to be doing the ride on your Rory O'Brien then?

Ah, forgot that part - possibly because, despite once having taken a towel, I've never braved the cold waters of Dunwich for fear of getting my feet tangled in the bellropes of the sunken church belfries.

And I'm afraid I'm not able to help at the food stop as I'm now caught up in Luddlet #1's 21 birthday celebrations that weekend. Is it at Sible Hedigham again? I have somewhere on my computer at home a nice stereo recording of the assembled throngs outside the food stop the other year when the power went down. Must post it on soundcloud with some suitably sparse grime backing.

folks should think very carefully about driving any distance after a night ride. There was a fatality a couple of years back that may have been connected with the driver having just done an overnight bike ride before setting off for home (not the Dun Run).

Having not really thought things through, my mates and I did this the first time. Really bad idea. I wasn't driving but did try to stay awake on the drive back and failed. The driver later said it was a harrowing journey trying to keep lids open. If you do drive, do take the time to snooze somewhere - even if it's pissing with rain - before getting behind the wheel. Nuff said.

Very tempted to do this after doing it about two years ago, still bike reservations available for the return journey?

folks should think very carefully about driving any distance after a night ride. There was a fatality a couple of years back that may have been connected with the driver having just done an overnight bike ride before setting off for home (not the Dun Run).

I did this in 2013 and strongly recommend against it. My intention was to sleep in the car, but I was too wired from all the caffeine and adrenaline, plus I couldn't get into a comfortable position. I kept stopping but wasn't able to sleep. If I do it this year it'll be airbnb or somewhere.

Try on the facebook group, seen tickets exchanging hands often atm.

pretty sure they'll be train spaces at Ipswich (route provided on reverse of the route card usually), could treat yourself to a Sunday Roast whilst you await a coming train,

and say a prayer for the Norwich-London line rolling stock being old-skool enough to have a whole carriage-load of space for bicycles to be placed into (unlike my memory of a suitcase-sized bicycle compartment on a modern Virgin train! - #priorities)

Cheers, I'll keep an eye on the Facebook group and have a think.

You going to be doing the ride on your Rory O'Brien then?

Not this year, or we could have shared a car. I've got a martial arts grading test thing on the Sunday so need to be vaguely fresh so as not to be killed.

I'm thinking of riding out to Finchingfield and watching a few go by, but then heading home for an earlyish night.

I'm going wimbledon in the day then riding all night then should be a zombie till midweek.

It was easier, I found, to ride to Ipswich ,then get a train to Cambridge, then you're on the Liverpool st line.....and no other bikes at all. I was only going back to bishops Stortford though, but it might work out if they don't let you on the London bound train en-masse....

You can go Ipswich to Liverpool Street directly. There was only 1 other bike on my 3pm train last year.

Train company are threatening to be arses this year, might be trickier at Ipswich, might not...

They still have loads of train reservations available, so it won't be as crowded at least - especially if you pick a less popular service: https://www.abelliogreateranglia.co.uk/dunwich-dynamo-reservation

"...limited to 6 bikes on a first come first served basis as per the Abellio Greater Anglia travel policy"

This doesn't mean a scrum at the station, you pre-book your bike place. Easiest way is to do it all by phone.

I wish I could tell everyone at the start, when it gets dark, please don't set your lights to !FLASH! !FLASH! !FLASH! !FLASH! !FLASH! !FLASH! !FLASH! !FLASH! !FLASH! !FLASH! !FLASH! !FLASH! !FLASH! !FLASH! !FLASH! !FLASH! !FLASH! !FLASH! !FLASH! !FLASH! !FLASH!

Megaphone...

Would HIGHLY recommend a swim at the end to everyone, it's bracing but clears that fuzzy head. Don't bother with a bulky towel, as long as it's not raining you can dry off on the stones.

Not a bad idea that, bar mounted maybe, headset, haranguing the full-kit wankers in their club jerseys

At the start yes, once into the ride you will be the biggest cunt going to everyone you wake up as you ride past booming out "don't drop your gel wrapper you full kit wanker"